Thing 10 - Future Trends

It is strange to reflect back on the beginning of my career and remember that there were no computers in the media center and the reference section was filled with print encyclopedias and other materials. I can remember when our supervisor was urging us to use online resources. He said he would no longer sign purchase orders for print encyclopedias. We were very upset by this because our internet connections were so slow then and the number of computers we had was low. Online research was not really practical for a class of students. Today there are many computers in the library, two class sized laptop carts, and a lab with 26 stations.  The reference section has shrunk to 6 shelves while our data base subscriptions have grown proportionately. Online research rules. I remember when 24/7 was a dream. Now it's a reality.

10 years from now? Whew! I am not a visionary, but it's clear that school libraries/librarians as we know them are endangered. Articles like this one (http://www.latimes.com/news/local/education/la-oe-murphy-school-layoffs-20110518,0,6427182.story?track=rss) and reading and hearing about the redistribution of staff and closing of school libraries in our area to see the handwriting on the wall.

With the proliferation of ebook readers, I sure can't argue with Thomas Frey's predicition that "within 10 years the ink-on-paper publishing industry will not be a sustainable economic model." Currently I am running our school's Buy-One-Get-One-Free Book Fair. Today I had a student ask me for another sheet of paper for her wish list which was full. I asked her if she thought her parents would let her buy so many books. Her response was that she just got a Nook and her mother asked her to make a list of the Nook books she wanted to buy. She was using the book fair for research.  I gave her another sheet and am curious to find out if she'll buy any books at the book fair. (I do have to say that I have not noticed any drop in book fair sales over the past few year. The kids still crave them.) The next step for school libraries is to find an economically feasible way to provide eBook readers and eBooks to our students.

Joyce Valenza's article was very interesting. I learned that I have a way to go before I can call myself a 21st century librarian. This course has helped me move in the right direction though.  If only I can win that iPad, I'll be a lot closer to my goal.